Home Is Where the Heart Is
by Rointheta
Summary: The TARDIS coral is dying. The Doctor knows just what it needs to be healthy again, but it would mean a big change for him and Rose.


_This is the twentieth fic in my 2013 Advent Calendar!_

**Prompt**: "'Rose x TenToo and the baby tardis."  
**Prompter**: ramblingsfromthemiddleofnowhere  
**beta**: resile

* * *

**HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS**

* * *

"What's wrong?" Rose asks, rubbing the Doctor's arm.

He hums, brow furrowed, and caresses the chunk of coral the other Doctor gave them. Its healthy colour dulled a few weeks after Bad Wolf Bay, and now it looks grey and bordering on translucent.

"I think…" The Doctor sighs and places it back into its tank, on the pebbled bottom, and sprinkles over it the homemade nutrient blend he made for it the second day in this universe. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I know we're still...getting to know each other again. And this is the last thing we need. And Jackie's gonna kill me, and… Well, I suppose I could go alone…" He trails off, staring out his bedroom window at the gloomy sky.

"Go where?"

"I'm not sure. Somewhere warm. A tropical island, ideally. She needs a lagoon. A proper one. Warm and full of life. Something organic and brilliant that I can't fabricate in a tank."

"What? You'd just…leave?"

He swallows and runs his fingers through his hair. "Not forever. Just as long as she needs to grow. If my calculations are right, she'll need three years at the most."

"Three years?!"

"I could jump back to the day after I leave. Or… You could...you could come with me." He turns his head from the window and looks at her, eyes guarded. "If you want."

"What?" She laughs. "You and me on a tropical island? For three years?"

"Could think of worse things."

"And when would we be leaving?"

"As soon as possible. She's...she's dying, Rose."

Rose gasps, hand shooting out to grab his. "What? Oh, god. Of course we're going. I've told you. I'll never leave you. Not ever. You're the one who always…" She takes a deep breath and locks her eyes on his. "Doctor. I know you said we could spend our lives together, but I need… I need a promise. I need you to say it out loud."

"I'll never leave you, Rose." He squeezes her hand. "Not ever."

"Okay!" She beams. "Then find the perfect island. And as soon as you do, tell me, and I'll make sure the zepp's ready the same night."

* * *

.

* * *

They use Rose's savings to settle down on a gorgeous little island in the Indian Ocean. The Doctor opens up a small marine repair shop, where he spends his days tinkering with all sorts of watercrafts. His reputation as an unusually skilled mechanic spreads and blooms right away, and he keeps himself busy, generating a steady income. Rose agrees to do the paperwork until they can afford to hire someone, and spends most of her free time during the day by learning how to scuba dive and surf.

They find an uninhabited island with a perfect lagoon close by and make a cosy underwater nest for the coral to thrive in. The Doctor needs to both tend to it and their bond, so he and Rose putter there by boat every evening, watching the coral grow healthier with each passing day.

They bring food and talk about their time whilst eating: the Doctor about his travels with Martha and Donna, and about the year that never was; Rose about working for Torchwood and all the things she saw when she was jumping with the dimension cannon. They take their time to go through it all: waiting in companionable silence as the one sharing finds their way, their courage, or just the right words; sitting through awkward silences and struggling not to jump to conclusions; and comforting one another with hugs and cuddles until it feels like second nature again.

Three weeks go by before they share their first kiss since Bad Wolf Bay. It happens quite by accident during a gambol on the beach at sunset, as though they live in a clichéd romantic comedy but, as Rose points out, they sort of do. After that they talk a little less and kiss a little more each evening. Fingers nestle into hair, hands wander, and hips grind into hips, but every time they go back to their lodge, they part with a very steamy good night kiss and sleep in separate bedrooms.

* * *

.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Rose asks, rubbing the Doctor's arm.

He hums, brow furrowed, and caresses the chunk of coral. "I think…" He sighs and places it back into its nest. "Something's holding her back. She's fine, now, but she should be growing faster. I wonder…" He trails off, staring out at the ocean, at its ripples glittering in the afternoon sun.

"You wonder...?"

"I'm not sure, but I have my suspicions. I didn't think of it at first, because it shouldn't be possible. Then again…" He smiles and brushes a strand of hair from Rose's cheek, tucking it behind her ear. "You never did care about impossible, did you?"

"No. Impossible's rubbish, if you ask me. So, what's your theory, then?"

He swallows and runs his fingers through his hair. "I know… I know it's not something you like, but I'd need to go into your mind to be sure. Ehm, I understand if you don't… But I wouldn't suggest it if it weren't...ehm… Well, it's for her. For the TARDIS."

"Then why don't you start by telling my why, Doctor?"

"Oh." He turns to look at her, sheepish grin on his face. "She's bonded with me, but I think she wants to bond with you as well."

"What?" Rose laughs. "But I'm not telepathic."

"No… But I think Bad Wolf might've changed something. Just enough to make you more susceptible. I'd need to make sure, though."

"'Kay. And if I am, I could bond with her?" Rose asks and he nods. "And that's something you'd want?"

"Oh, yes. I want her to be ours, Rose. You-you would be able to pilot her."

Rose gasps, hand shooting out to grab his. "What? Really? Not just assist? Oh, my god." She takes a deep breath and looks him in the eye. "Yes. Yeah. Let's do it."

"Yeah? And…" He ducks his head, drawing lines in the sand with his foot. "If you can–if you can form a bond–would-would you be open to form one with me, as well?"

She leans in and nudges her nose to his before cupping his cheeks and giving him a kiss. "Of course I would."

* * *

.

* * *

He examines Rose right away. It feels strange at first but, as soon as his love for her radiates into her mind, she relaxes and basks in it. He finds her telepathic abilities slightly elevated, and strong enough to form a bond with both him and the coral. They celebrate that night and, this time, the steamy good night kiss ends with a shared bed.

They focus on her bond with the coral first to speed its growth along. He teaches Rose how to open up her mind and let the coral's fine, golden tendrils seek her out. She compares it to breaking in a new pair of gorgeous heels. It hurts a bit at first, but soon they feel like a second skin, and you look fit as hell. They kiss a little less because of this, but make up for it, and more, when they return to their lodge and their bedroom.

The Doctor gains enough customers to hire an assistant, someone who can handle paperwork a lot better than both he and Rose can, and she starts looking for work. She waits tables at first, because she can't just wait around for something better to pop up, until her scuba instructor suggests that she could study to become one herself and she signs up the next day.

The coral swells and sprouts new branches, gains a healthy glow, and her presence in Rose's mind soon feels so natural Rose forgets what it felt like before the bond. They never discuss visiting Rose's family. They can't bring the coral, and leaving her would be like dumping their baby in the wild and telling her to fend for herself. Jackie, Pete, and Tony visit now and then, though, and they all spend the Doctor's first Christmas exchanging gifts on a pristine beach.

* * *

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* * *

"Isn't she gorgeous?" Rose asks, rubbing the Doctor's arm as pride swells in her chest.

He hums, face lit up by a smile, and caresses the chunk of coral. "I think…" He nods and places it back into its nest. "She's grown so fast. Much faster than I anticipated. Because of you. Your bond. And I think…" He trails off, staring out at the orange sun dipping into the still ocean.

"You think...?"

"Well, Rose Tyler…" He smiles and pulls her closer by her waist. "I think your bond is strong enough, now, for...for us to make ours. If you want."

"Yeah?"

He leans his forehead against hers. "If you still need time to think, I completely understand. And if you don't want to at all? Well, you can still pilot the TARDIS and we'll always be connected through her, so… We don't need it."

"No?"

"Nope." He presses a kiss to her mouth. "It's just...icing on the cake, I suppose."

"Yeah, well..." She runs her lips along his jawline until she reaches his earlobe, giving it a gentle nip. "I love icing. Sometimes I even eat it straight from the can."

He chuckles. "That a 'yes', then?"

"Will it feel the same as with the TARDIS? Be the same."

"Not quite. It will be...more. Everything will be more. And when we…" He grins and rocks his hips against her. "Well, that's gonna blow your mind, Rose Tyler."

She laughs. "Not literally, though, yeah?"

"Nope," he says, beaming. "In the very best way."

She rises on tiptoes and closes the distance between them, whispering against his lips, "How soon can we start?"

* * *

**the end**


End file.
